plant-based comfort food

Kale Pistachio Pesto with Soba Noodles and Oyster Mushrooms

We’re moving on today. Moving on from November, moving on from the weekend, moving on from losing the contents of our hard drive and moving into the holiday season.

Kale, in my opinion, makes for a fresh start. I know it’s not time for resolutions yet (thank God) but let’s be real, Mondays are when we get back on track after watching terrible movies and eating too much cheese all weekend. (P.s. Can someone give me another free day to watch bad movies and eat more cheese with my fiancé, please? Thanks.)

That’s where the kale comes in. It rights wrongs, just because it’s so dang good for you. That’s how it works in my brain anyway.

Pesto has always been one of my favorite ways to dress up pasta, sandwiches, grilled vegetables and salads. Today, we’re making it even more excellent with the (SMASH! BANG!) super powers of kale.

You can make pesto with lots of different herb and nut combinations. I love the peppery strength the kale lends to this version – along with familiar hints of basil and garlic, subtle heat from chili, slightly sweet pistachios and a bit of zing from fresh lemon juice, this pesto is a great way to add some good and tasty green to your dinner.

I used this pesto in a few dishes over the past couple of weeks. Here I’ve paired it with nutty soba noodles and sautéed oyster mushrooms, which sound a little weird but are totally awesome. They have a great meaty texture and a delicate flavor that works oh-so-well with garlic.

In addition to receiving some seriously high praise from Fabes, this dish is easy to throw together – making it the perfect meal to kick off the week.

Let’s do this, Monday!

Kale & Pistachio Pesto

2 packed cups kale, de-stemmed

1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup toasted pistachios

3 cloves garlic

sea salt

pinch of chili flakes

tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil

Blanch the kale in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain in a colander and dry well with a paper towel.

Place kale, basil, pistachios, garlic, salt, chili, lemon juice and a splash of the olive oil in a food processor. Puree, adding in more olive oil to thin it out as you go.

Use within 5 days or freeze the leftovers in a small air tight container.

Soba Noodles with Oyster Mushrooms and Kale Pestoserves 2

180 grams (6.5 oz.) dried soba noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups oyster mushrooms, sliced

1 cup kale, finely shredded

sea salt

2 tablespoons kale and pistachio pesto

Cook soba noodles according to package instructions – be careful not to overcook them. Reserve a 1/2 a cup or so of the cooking liquid. Drain and set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Add in sliced oyster mushrooms and a pinch of salt and sauté until just tender – about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in kale and cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes until wilted.

Add the pesto and a little bit (about a tablespoon at a time) of the soba noodle water to the pan with the mushrooms and kale. Stir until the pesto is thin in consistency. Add the cooked noodles into the skillet and remove from heat. Toss vigorously to coat noodles, mushrooms and kale in the pesto and serve immediately.